Simpson Elementary students in Emily Egger’s fifth-grade class were asked a series of questions about their school’s transition from plastic utensils to metal ones. Here are some of their responses. (The responses have been edited, though most original punctuation has been retained.)

Will you miss the plastic sporks?

Leilah Johnson: Definitely not, it is taking over sea life.

Adam Schmitz: No because it wastes so much plastic, and it helps our marine ecosystem.

Maddy Wallman: I won’t miss the plastic sporks, but there will be many students from this school who will. I think it is important to talk to many students, and teachers, about this change so they understand that we are helping the world one step at a time, and the people we tell might even share with their parents and friends to!

Kyle Craig: No, because metal forks and spoons are easier to get salad and other things.

McKenzie Cotey: Never in my life will I!!

Josie Forster: Not AT ALL !!!!!!!!!!

Emily Willis: Not at all!

Grady White: No, it was sorta nice to open the package, but it was sorta annoying to have to get to open it every single time.

Ashlynn Fuller: No.

Jack Phillips: NO!

Riviera Nichols: NO!

Anthony Couch: No, I will not. It will save the world, so no, not at all.

Oscar Arevalo Martinez: NO!

How will using less plastic help?

Leilah Johnson: It won’t help every single piece, but we are making the tiniest difference.

Adam Schmitz: It will help us by saving more money for our school to buy more equipment for our school and it puts less plastic in our ocean and it saves many sea animals lives.

Maddy Wallman: Using less plastic will help by saving our ocean. All the plastic people use will probably at one point find its way to the ocean, and probably kill a whole lot of see life.

Benjamin D. Anderson: Using less plastic will help because it will save oceans because 70% of all plastic end up in the ocean.

McKenzie Cotey: I know it will help not only the earth but it will help humans.

Josie Forster: Using less plastic will help by keeping it out of the oceans because 60% of the plastic we use goes to the ocean and it will help keep animals safer too.

Emily Willis: I can save my friends (sea creatures)

Grady White: It will stop turtles from choking

Ashlynn Fuller: How using less plastic will help is less animals will die and there will be less oil spills.

Jack Phillips: It won’t kill as much animals

Riviera Nichols: It won’t produce more pollution and it won’t harm sea life and other living things

Anthony Couch: The sea life will survive better.

Oscar Arevalo Martinez: It will help the Earth for nature.

What’s the best part about switching to metal forks and spoons?

Leilah Johnson: Is that we are encouraging not just other kids, but adults to help the world by using them.

Adam Schmitz: It helps our environment, and we use way less plastic, because just imagine, 50 percent of all sea turtles have consumed plastic in them. So that will save so many sea turtles and other sea creatures.

Maddy Wallman: The best part about switching to metal forks and spoons is saving thousands of sea creatures. Some sea animals are even endangered, like a leatherback sea turtle, or extinct! Because of this, I LOVE the ocean, and this is why saving the ocean is my favorite part about switching to silverware.

Kyle Craig: The best part about switching to metal is because forks can grab salad better than sporks.

Benjamin D. Anderson: We don’t use as much plastic, so we save the ocean.

McKenzie Cotey: Well, one it is healthier for us and it’s less work to just wash metal than make a plastic spoon!!

Josie Forster: The best part about switching to metal forks and spoons is it is less money and it will help the planet.

Emily Willis: My class can make a BIG difference.

Grady White: More turtles in the world.

Ashlynn Fuller: The best part about switching to metal forks and spoons is we will be helping the Earth!

Jack Phillips: We are saving the world.

Riviera Nichols: First, we won’t be using plastic every day in every school year. Second it won’t cost so much money

Anthony Couch: The best part about switching to metal forks and spoons are you can pick stuff up better and save the Earth.

Oscar Arevalo Martinez: We won’t be using plastic to help nature and the Earth.

Why should kids be doing this project, why not adults?

Kyle Craig: Because if a kid does it, it makes other people be like, “Wow a kid is not using plastic.”

Benjamin D. Anderson: Because if adults do it, people won’t really care because they already know about saving the Earth. And kids are newer and don’t know as much, so you open your eyes and do what the adults do.

What steps are you taking in addition to this in your everyday life that help our planet?

Josie Forster: In my everyday life, I try not to use as much plastic, and I use reusable things like metal straws, cloth bags, and metal water bottles.

Emily Willis: We recycle whatever we can so that when the garbage and recycling day comes the bins are filled!